Automatic railway-gate.



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WITNESSES N NN @Q Q owk ATTORNEY S. TURNER.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE.

APPLICATION r1150 JAN. 31. 1911.

1,243,648. 1 Patented 001;. 16, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY em.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31. 19.

1,243,643, Patented 0011161317.

3 SHEETSSHEET a.

INVENTOR iimemzfurnm WITNESSES I BY My ATTCRNEI nice.

SIMEON TURNER,,OF WARREN, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed Oct. 16, 1917.

Application filed January 31, 1917. Serial 110.145,?45.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMEON TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Huntington and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends improvements in automatic railway crossing gates and relates particularly to that type of crossing gate which is closed by the ap proach of a train toward the crossing and opened by the train as it passes beyond the crossing.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple practical and substantial automatically operated gate of this type wherein a plurality of track trips are provided for engagement by the wheels of a train to operate a shift rod which controls the movements of weights connected to the gates for opening and closing the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide automatic gate operating mechanism which will operate to release weights to lower the gates when a train is approaching the crossing from either direction and which will automatically raise the weights as the train recedes from the crossing to permit the gates to open. I

The invention also aims to generally improve automatic crossing gate mechanism to render it more substantial, useful and practically desirable.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully illustrated, described and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the automatic railway gate.

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the gate closed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the gate open. 1

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one set of track mechanism showing a wheel in the act of engaging a trip to open thegate.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. a showing the parts in position to close the gate.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the weight lifting mechanism on one of the gate posts.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan View showing one set of the track mechanism. 7

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the cross ties, 2 the rails and 3 the gate posts at the crossing. Each of these posts is formed by a pair of uprights & firmly fixed in the ground and between each pair of uprights is pivotally mounteda mast gate 5 of the usual construction having the weights 6 on its butt end which are of sufficient size to swing the gate into a vertical position when released.

The mechanism on one side of the track will first be described in detail. Here as shown, a weight 7 is pivoted as at 8 between the uprights of each of the posts 3 and these weights which extend toward each other are connected by chains 9 or other suitable fastening members to the gates 5. The chains 9 are of such a length as to hold the weights 7 in a substantially horizontal position when the gates are closed as shown.

For the purpose of raising the weights to permit of the gates opening under the influence of the gate weights 6, I provide a forked lifting lever 10 for each weight. Each lever is pivotally mounted as at 11 between extensions 12 on each of the posts. These extensions serve to space the weight levers a slight distance from the posts to allow an operating means to work through the slots 13 in their lower ends. V

Extending along the track above the cross ties 1 is a main shifting rod 14 mounted on roller bearings 15 and slidable between the roller bearings 16. connected to a lever 17 which is pivotally secured intermediate its ends as at 18 and which projects through the forked end of the corresponding weight lifting lever 10. To operate the weight lever on the opposite side of the crossing, I provide an arm 19 rigidly secured to the shift rod 14. This arm moves over the stationary slide 20 and projects through the forked end of the corresponding weight lifting lever 10 to actuate the same.

The shift rod 14 is formed in two sections 21 and 22 which sections are connected at their opposed ends by the pivoted reversing lever 23. To operate the shift rod let, I provide on each side of the crossing a track trip 24'pivotally secured tothe rail as indi- This rod is pivotally cated at: 25. Each of the trips 2% is formed with a wheel engaging face 26 and an arm engaging face 27. The upper end of the trip is of a reduced size and projects slightly above the wall of the rail to be engaged by the walls of an approaching train and the lower end of the trip is of enlarged cam shape. An arm 28 is pivotally secured at one end to a base plate 29-and atits' other end to t 1e shift rod 1d. This arm 28 is engaged by the face 27' of the track tripand to reduce friction at the point of contact between these two members, I provide the arm with a plurality of anti-friction rollers 30. When a train approaches the crossing from either direction it will engage one of the'track trips 24L causing it to swing about its pivot and shiftthe corresponding arm 28'toward'the train. This movement of% the arm 28 causes a movement'of the shift rod 14 to rotate the weight lever lO'and permit the weights to lower thereby closing the gates To open the gates after a train has passed a crossing, I provide on each side of the crossing a track trip 31 which is pivoted to the rail as at 32 and which is of the same design as the track trips 2% having a wheel to the shift rod 1% to operate the weightlifting levers 10 to raise the weights?- and allow the gates to swing open. It" will be noted that the track trips are arranged in bearings and that the trips in each bearing are mounted to face in opposite directions; When one of the trips of a bearing'is operated by a train it causes the other trip in the bearing to be swung into aninoperative position so asto let the wheelspass idly over the same.

To operate the gates on theopposite side of the track from that net described, similar operating means are provided with the exception of the track trips and the trip enga'gingarms which may be omitted. A shift rod 37 similar'to the shift rod let is used and is operated from the shift rod l-l by the cross tie rods 38. To eliminate friction as accumulations, a suitable casing or housingg:

not shown, may be employed;

vliromthe foregoing descrlption taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings it will .be seen; that I have provided a very.

substantial and practical: automatic gate operating mechanism in which track trips are provided for actuating a shift rod which will cause weights to be raised and lowered to open'and close the crossing gates.

While I have shown and described the preferred; embodiments of my inventionit willbe clearly understood that I do not wish to be limitedto this construction, but may mane such changes as will fall within the scope and spirit of the inventiona s'claimed;

lVhat I claim is:

1'. The combination with the post and'gate bar ofa gravity opened gate, of a weight having one end pivoted to the gate-post and the other end linked to the gate-bar, a device normally disposed in the path of'movem'ent of the weightfor holding said other end of* the weight elevatedto permit the'gate-bar to maintain the open position, said device having a mounting whereby'it' is adapted to be moved out of the path of the weight,

and means for moving said device'out ofthe pathof the weight'to permit the'weight: to move the gate-bar to the closed positions 2. The combination with the post and gate-bar of a gravity opened railroad cross-l inggate, of a wei ht having one end pivoted tothe gate post and the other end linked tothe gate-bar, a lever pivoted to the gatepost with onee-nd engag-ing against-the bot tonr of the weight, and car-operated means for moving saidilever-to permit said weight to close the gate, said means and said-lever normally holding said weight in a positionto permit the gate to remain'open.

3. In a railroad crossing gate mechanism; a pair ofgate-bars, posts-uponwhich said bars are pivotally secured, weights carried" by the gates for opening the same, gateclosing weights having one end ofeach pivoted to a respectivepost, link means connecting the-other end of each weight 'to the 're-' spective'banra lever pivoted to each postwith one end engaging against the respective closing weight, ashift rod connected to said levers, :atrack triponeach side of: the crossing, means operated by each ofsaid track trips: for moving. the shift rod intone direc'- tion, a second setof trip rods on opposite sides of: the trackway and meansoperat'edi by said second set of trip rods for moving the shift rod in the opposite. direction.

a. Inca railway-crossing mechanisnna pair of crossing gates, posts pivotally supporting said'gates, weights carried bythe gates to swing the same into open position, weights pivoted on'the 'postsand connecting-the gates to swing the same into closed position; weight levers mounted on the poststo operate said second mentionedweights, a shift: rod, means operated by the'shift 11OCl f01J actuating said weight, levers, a-tracli trip'on each side. of the, crossing, means 5 operated by, each of saidtracktripsfor movingt-he shifted rod in one direction, a second set of track trips on opposite sides of the crossing, and means operated by the second set of track trips for moving the shifted rod in the opposite direction.

5. In a railway crossing mechanism, a pair of crossing gates, posts upon which said gates are pivotally secured, Weights carried by the gates for opening the same, gate closing welghts secured to the posts, a shift rod, means actuated by said shift rod for operating said second mentioned Weights, a track trip on each side of said crossing, means operated by each of said track trips for moving the shift rod in one direction, a second set of track trips on opposite sides of the crossing and means operated by said second set of track trips for moving the shift rod in the opposite direction. 7

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

' SIMEON TURNER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

